Best Time To Visit: You can visit this lake throughout the year. The environment of the lake always remains refreshing. However, you can get splendid views of the lake surroundings in the monsoon season!

Upvan Lake In Thane Information

Pokhran lake or Upvan in Thane is a major tourist attraction of the city near Pokhran area. This lake lies amidst the foot of beautiful Yeoor Hills of Borivali National Park (Sanjay Gandhi National Park). Its serenity and isolation from the main city attract a huge number of people. This spot is surrounded by hills on one side and entire lake is lined with dense trees. The Upvan lake is 2nd largest water body in Thane after Masunda lake. You can get amazing landscapes of the lake and the hills in the background. Due to its peaceful surroundings and good walking track, many people visit this lake in the morning and evening.

This is one of the best spots in Thane to give a visit. The iconic feature of the Upvan lake in Thane is an idol of Lord Shiva in the middle of the lake. That idol is mounted on a top of water level indicator. The lake region glows with a lush greenery and misty clouds in the monsoon & winter season. It is a great place for morning walks, meditation, jogs and spends time in the evening. The lake has very well constructed and maintained pedestrian’s walkway around its circumference. You can have a seat on the short walls around the lake and enjoy your time!

Upvan Art Festival

The beautiful lake of Upvan hosts popular art festivals in thane – Upvan Art Festival and Sanskruti Arts Festival. A huge number of national artists perform their art on the bank of Upvan lake in Thane during these festivals. The entire circumference of the lake gets decorated magnificently with lights during the time of the festival. Various music bands, popular singer, modern & cultural dance groups perform their shows in the art festivals. Other artists to exhibit & sell artifacts like paintings and various handmade items.

Nowadays, it has become a tourist and recreational spot. A large number of amateur bike racing competitions takes place on the road along the Upvan lake in Thane. The roads of Pokhran I and Pokhran II meets at this lake. The lake is close to other parts of the city like Gawand Baug, Vartak Nagar, Vasant Vihar and Shivai Nagar. It is also popular as a romantic spot and a large number of couples visit this lake due to its isolation from the main city.

History of Upvan Lake

This lake is basically an artificial lake which purpose was a water storage reservoir. Thane Municipal Corporation built this lake near Yeoor Hills in the year of 1880. The construction cost of the Upvan lake in Thane was Rs 13000 at that time. The lake was inaugurated by then Governor of Mumbai – Sir Ferguson James.

The lake was reconstructed by JK Singhania for water supply till the Raymond factory. It was a source of water for Thane city in the past. He even built the beautiful temple of lord Ganesha on the banks of Upvan lake. Now the construction of high-rise buildings is increased in this area which is reducing the natural feel.

[caption id="attachment_1166" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The idol of Shiva in the middle of lake![/caption]

Earlier the marine plant species and silt deposited at the lake bottom had lowered the oxygen level in lake waters. Due to this, the marine life of this was in great danger. Then Thane Municipal Corporation with the help of union Ministry of Environment and Forest has done a restoration work in last few years. They also used a bioremediation method to keep the water of lake fresh & clean.

Boating In Upvan Lake

Earlier there was a 210 cm long crocodile at Upvan lake in thane for many years which was moved to Tulsi lake of Borivali National Park (Sanjay Gandhi National Park). According to TMC officials, that crocodile was the only crocodile in all the 35 lakes of Thane. The city of lakes indeed! Since then boating services has been started for people in this Lake. Visitors can enjoy couple paddle boats, family paddle boats and group motor boats at nominal charges in Upvan lake Thane.

Nearby Attractions

Ganesh Temple: A beautiful temple of Lord Ganesha is there at the entrance of the Upvan lake in Thane. The shooting of many movies and TV serials have been done at this temple.

Yeoor Hills: The adjacent hills of Yeoor serves as a tiny hill station in Thane city. It always remains cool due to its dense forest cover. Many people visit Yeoor to enjoy activities like trekking, bird watching, jungle trails, star gazing, waterfalls and photoshoots.

Wildlife: Along with the local bird species many other birds like Small ducks, Greater Spotted Eagles, Oriental Stork, Black-bellied Tern, Indian Skimmer can be spotted in this lake. Dense trees on the bank of lake serve as a home to these birds. Even monkeys are present in this area. Aquatic species like turtles and various fish live in the lake.

Mayor Bungalow: The bungalow of Thane Municipal Corporation Mayor is also there on the banks of a lake near Ganesh Temple.

Football Turf: There is a football turf beside the Upvan lake in thane where you can get into a soccer match along with your team!

Timings

There is no particular time slot to visit the lake. You can visit here at any time of the day!

Time Required: 1 to 2 hours are sufficient to explore the Upvan lake in Thane and its surroundings.

Entry Fee /Ticket Charges: There are no ticket charges to enter into the Upvan lake area. The entry is free to everyone except vehicles!

How To Reach

You can easily reach the Upvan lake from anywhere in the thane city via auto-rickshaws, buses or internet cabs.

Buses: TMT (Thane Municipal Transportation) buses are available to Upvan lake from Thane station and Gaondevi bus stop (10 min away from station bus stop). Both bus stops have a good frequency of buses.

Nearest Railway Station: Thane station on the central railway line is the nearest railhead to reach Upvan lake in Thane. Meter auto-rickshaws are easily available outside the station which cost around Rs.70-80 (one side). The distance between station and lake is 7 km.

Eating Stuff / Restaurants: There are few restaurants on the bank of the lake. You can calmly enjoy beautiful views while having coffee and some snacks adjacent to the lake. Food like pizza, burgers, Pasta, Indo-Chinese items, wraps and similar items is available over here.

Accommodation: If you wish to stay in the Thane then there are many luxury and semi-luxury hotels in the city. You can choose the hotel according to your need & budget!

Map To Reach:

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Upvan lake in Thane is a pride of the city along with Masunda lake. It is a great place to hang out with your loved ones!

Humble Request: Kindly keep your surroundings neat & clean. Be a responsible person and do not throw any waste material in the lake or on a pathway around it.

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Hey guys..I am Kunal Patil! A travel blogger, author & founder of this blog from Mumbai. I am trying to show you the popular as well as unexplored leisure spots in the Maharashtra via this blog! Do subscribe!